PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A gridlock between the city of Delray Beach and the Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association to create a new contract for the city's police department may have movement.
Wednesday night commissioners had an emergency council meeting to try and find a resolution to the impasse that was announced by the PBA after months of failed negotiations.
WATCH: John Kazanjian tells WPTV reporter Joel Lopez what he would like to see in contract
"It really does impact moral, while they're waiting to figure out what kind of benefits and wages they're going to have," said Delray Beach Vice Mayor Rob Long. "I think it behooves us to find a pathway to resolution sooner than later and not let this go on, the impasse process could take very, very long and it eventually leads to a special magistrate hearing."
Long has been pushing for better compromise from city leaders with the PBA but said contract negotiations have been divisive, as they hashed out a contract agreement they plan to present to the PBA.
"It was the first meeting we've had since the PBA declared impasse last week, it was to attempt to come to a bargain and come to a resolution," said Long.
Long said the city plans on offering the PBA to raise starting pay for officers to a salary above $70,000 per year, which the union had been pushing for.
"I'm hoping that my colleagues are open to continuing to negotiate," said Long, as the offer however won't include a 3-year expansion requested by the PBA to the department's retirement benefits known as Deferred Retirement Option Program aka DROP.
The PBA said extending the DROP will keep experienced officers at the department for longer time.
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The PBA said DBPD is supposed to have 174 officers but currently have 163, 9 of which they said are currently in the academy. It's a ratio the PBA said is causing officers to work overtime, but also costing the city in pension pay.
"They're going to save money by extending the DROP," said John Kazanjian with the PBA. “The ‘o’ in DROP stands for option and officers do not have to utilize the 3 years."
He said they have yet to receive the city's offer but said because of the DROP program, the city doesn't have to pay pensions of 18 officers currently participating.
According to Kazanjian an officer that goes into DROP is removed from the roster that applies to the pension tabs.
"Once you go into the DROP program, you are officially retired," said Kazanjian.
During an interview on Tuesday, Delray Beach Mayor Tom Carney said extending DROP would cost tax payers over half a million in payouts per officer on top of their regular paycheck.
However, the PBA said last year the city paid $8.2 million into the pension but because of the number of officers in the DROP program, it saved the city $1.4 million.
"And the longer they're in the DROP, the more money the city saves," said Kazanjian. "We're not looking to be greedy or anything, we're trying to be at the standard."
Currently, Delray Beach Police Department has a 5-year DROP program that the PBA wants increased to 8. For comparison, neighboring Boca Raton Police Department's DROP program runs 7 years. While Boynton Beach, Palm Beach Gardens and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office are at 8 years.
"Are you willing to compromise a lower extension of the DROP program in exchange for a higher starting salary for the officers?" asked WPTV's Joel Lopez.
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"I'd be willing to go there and talk about it to see if we can get the salaries up, and with the DROP, yeah we can negotiate on the DROP," said Kazanjian. "I hope they do come back. I'm willing to go to the table to talk to see if we can come up to a resolution."
Kazanjian said the PBA declared impasse but because it's not in writing, it's not official yet.
"We don't have to go to a special master, if they're willing to work with us, we're still willing to work," said Kazanjian. "If they support us, we'd end up supporting them, let's sit down and talk to them and see if we can figure this thing out."
WPTV did request to speak with Carney but did not hear back.
Long said the city is also offering a deal for officers to take home their work car.
The PBA should receive the city's offer in the next couple of days.
